ELTIPS AV R T
We’d booked a private taxi transfer from Paphos airport – more relaxing than scrambling on a coach that goes all round the island before efore dropping you off at your hotel..
Only 25 minutes later, we arrivedrived at the Coral Beach Hotel and Resort, and felt the stresses of everyday life float away.
We just looked at each other and smiled. This was going to be our home for the next week k– – just me and my mum. And it didn’tdn’t disappoint.
This magnificent hotel is justust outside the island’s old capitaltal Paphos. It has its own private ate harbour, and sits on the edge off the Akamas peninsula, an area protected ected by UNESCO which has been on n the World Heritage list since 1980. .
It’s just one of the hundreds reds of hotels offered by Onthebeach. co.uk designed to suit all comers – couples, families and groups of friends – and all budgets.
The Coral Beach has many types of rooms but we’d chosen one with a sea view and a lovely balcony on which we spent hours watching the stunning sunsets.
The hotel is huge, but somehow never seems crowded, and the size allows it to provide an astonishing variety on its all-inclusive plan.
I can be a bit of a fussy eater, but when you have every treat you can think of on offer at each meal, then you’ll never go hungry. The Coral Beach Hotel has four bars and six restaurants. Yes, six! They offer a selection of cuisines from Cypriot to French and from traditional fresh fish to romantic Italian.
We tried them all but we chose
But we made sure we’d left enough room for baklava and traditional rice pudding.
There was so much to do on site at the hotel. The Coral Beach has four tennis courts, a gym, a squash court and an arts and craft studio.
You can play snooker or pool, or j just enjoy splashing about in the beautiful large outdoor pool. beaA
And we found there was no need to g get up at 6am to bag a sun lounger –t– there were more than enough spa spaces for all.
B But those who want to venture in into Paphos to explore will find p plenty to do.
One highlight is the ancient r ui ns a t Kato Paphos Archaeological Park, which has The electricity supply and the sockets used are the same in Cyprus as in the United Kingdom: 240 volts, ac 50Hz. Sockets are usually 5A or 13A, square-pin. If your travel appliances are two-pin, adaptors are available from the hotel reception. Make sure you check the timetable for the restaurants as they aren’t all open on the same days. Book spa treatments before you arrive. See the website for a spa menu. www.coral. com.cy the Limani Taverna for my mum’s birthday meal.
This beachside a la carte restaurant provided the perfectf t setting for a relaxed meal. The taverna has been virtually carved out of solid rock and sits next to the hotel’s own amphitheatre.
Mum and I both had the chicken Souvla, a delicious traditional barbecued dish, which we washed down with champagne. Well, we were celebrating!
Traditional
remainsi thath dated fromf prehistorichi i times to the Middle Ages. But the marvellous mosaic floors of four Roman villas are the main attraction.
The complex includes other important monuments, such as the Odeon amphitheatre, the Roman Agora, the Byzantine ruins of the Saranta Kolones ( 40 Columns) Fortress, the Limeniotissa Ruins of an early Christian Basilica and the 4th century BC Tombs of the Kings.
That’s a lot of history for an entry fee of €4.50.
If it’s relaxation you’re after, then there are treatments available in the Esthisis (the Greek word for senses) Spa and indoor pool.
I treated my mum to a two-hour Elemis Absolute Spa Ritual and I had reflexology – absolute heaven. If we weren’t relaxed before, we definitely were after that.
Whether you’re after a family break or a celebration for two, the Coral Beach Hotel and Resort really does have all you could want. FACTFILE: Paphos prices start from £319pp with beach holiday specialist On the Beach. This seven- night holiday at the 5-star Coral Beach Hotel and Resort includes B& B accommodation and return flights from a choice of airports across the UK. All-inclusive is extra. All holidays subject to availability. Book online at www. onthebeach. co. uk or call 0871 474 3000.